16/08/22 - L1: OUFC v Lincoln City

[MJB]

In 2014-6 terms - think Will Hoskins (large career fees, injury problems but good once upon a time) vs Ryan Taylor (regular game time at said level, playing well, reliable) or perhaps Brian Howard vs Alex MacDonald, same vibes.

Getting both a Will Hoskins and Brian Howard reference into a 2022 reply.

 

[BrockBuster]

Unfortunately Williams is our best example, yes - because we sign so few players of that nature - that's the point! And you can mock him swanning off after a year, but he still contributed more than the likes of Hanson or Winnall.

Naylor was just an example from last Summer, there are plenty of others that may well be more affordable this Summer - I don't work as a scout so not for me to present a list of options. Besides, how much are we spending on the likes of Murphy? The argument is that we can now afford top end L1 wages and hefty transfer fees - let's use some on top L1 players rather than players who've potentially been top Championship players but haven't played much football recently.

You either buy into the rhetoric that signing players with historic pedigree from a higher level but with serious character flaws/injuries is as good as it gets at this level - or you don't. You appear to have been seduced by that tactic - much as KR himself has.

There's a fair few of us that are questioning this approach and would like to see a few more trusted bodies in the box.

In 2014-6 terms - think Will Hoskins (large career fees, injury problems but good once upon a time) vs Ryan Taylor (regular game time at said level, playing well, reliable) or perhaps Brian Howard vs Alex MacDonald, same vibes.

I was a big fan of Williams during his time here absolutely and was sorry to see him go. Wasn't mocking him, just stating a fact.

Think the reality is, if this kind of thing was easy, we'd have 24 teams pushing for promotion each season. Reality is it's bloody difficult. You say yourself you're not a scout and it's easy to call out players in hindsight. For all we know, Murphy could well be on a considerably lower basic wage than other players, with much higher bonuses based on appearances/number of games played in a season.

A more trusted body can quite quickly become a write-off due to poor form or injury. Top L1 players can quickly fall into that position after a bad run or one unlucky twist or turn.

You mention Wigan, they may have signed players from in and around this league, but not all of them were successes. Charlie Wyke (42 games the season before) played 15 games and then had a cardiac arrest. Joe Bennett played 30 odd games the season before, but only played 11 times last season.

I agree we should be looking for players with, as they say in American sports, lower ceilings and higher floors. Players you can depend on to be consistent week in and week out, not necessarily aiming for these players with amazing but unfilled potential. But if we'd done so, we'd have been less likely to have had the likes of McNally, Dickie, Whyte and Atkinson and made a significant profit each year. Even with Obita we had a quick financial turnaround. Which is something I'm sorry to say, appears to have been the board's prerogative the last few years.

 

[Shaun Rice]

Unfortunately Williams is our best example, yes - because we sign so few players of that nature - that's the point! And you can mock him swanning off after a year, but he still contributed more than the likes of Hanson or Winnall.

Naylor was just an example from last Summer, there are plenty of others that may well be more affordable this Summer - I don't work as a scout so not for me to present a list of options. Besides, how much are we spending on the likes of Murphy? The argument is that we can now afford top end L1 wages and hefty transfer fees - let's use some on top L1 players rather than players who've potentially been top Championship players but haven't played much football recently.

You either buy into the rhetoric that signing players with historic pedigree from a higher level but with serious character flaws/injuries is as good as it gets at this level - or you don't. You appear to have been seduced by that tactic - much as KR himself has.

There's a fair few of us that are questioning this approach and would like to see a few more trusted bodies in the box.

In 2014-6 terms - think Will Hoskins (large career fees, injury problems but good once upon a time) vs Ryan Taylor (regular game time at said level, playing well, reliable) or perhaps Brian Howard vs Alex MacDonald, same vibes.

I think it’s good maybe even better to sign players doing very very well in the leagues below. Those looking to make the step up. We seem to look up for our targets lately when there are great players below us.